Replacement head for an oral care implement, and oral care implement and method of utilizing the same

Abstract

A replacement head for an oral care implement, such as a powered toothbrush, wherein the replacement head utilizes a specially designed structure for coupling the replacement head to an oral care implement body. In one embodiment, the invention can be a replacement head comprising: a head having a plurality of tooth cleaning elements mounted thereto; a tubular sleeve comprising a cavity for receiving a stem of the body, a proximal edge defining an opening into the cavity, and a distal end to which the head is coupled, the tubular sleeve comprising a locking tab for engaging an undercut surface of a locking section of a boss.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An oral care implement comprising:
 a body comprising:
 a gripping portion comprising a shoulder; 
 a stem extending from the shoulder along a longitudinal axis; and 
 a boss protruding from an outer surface of the stem, the boss comprising a locking rib section having an undercut surface that is axially spaced from the shoulder and a positioning rib section extending from the locking rib section to the shoulder, the undercut surface circumferentially protruding from a first side surface of the positioning rib section; 
 
 a replacement head comprising:
 a tubular sleeve comprising a cavity and a proximal edge defining an opening into the cavity; 
 a slot in the tubular sleeve comprising a locking slot section spaced from the proximal edge and an entry slot section that extends from the proximal edge to the locking slot section; and 
 a locking tab comprising a distal edge that forms a first lateral wall of the entry slot section and an upper edge that forms a bottom wall of the locking slot section; 
 
 wherein the tubular sleeve is detachably coupled to the stem in a locked state in which:
 the stem is located within the cavity of the tubular sleeve; 
 the positioning rib section is located within the entry slot section; and 
 the locking rib-section is located within the locking slot section, the upper edge of the locking tab engaging the undercut surface of the locking rib section; and 
 
 wherein the locking slot section extends along a first slot axis and the entry slot section extends along a second slot axis, and wherein the first slot axis is oriented obliquely to the second slot axis. 
 
     
     
       2. The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein the upper edge of the locking tab is concave arcuate and the undercut surface of the locking rib section is convex arcuate. 
     
     
       3. The oral care implement according to  claim 2  wherein the locking slot section comprises a top wall that is concave arcuate and the locking rib section comprises an upper surface that is convex arcuate, and wherein in the locked state the upper surface of the locking rib section engages the top wall of the locking slot section. 
     
     
       4. The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein the locking slot section comprises a first lateral wall that extends substantially parallel to the first slot axis and a second lateral wall that extends substantially parallel to the second slot axis. 
     
     
       5. The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein in the locked state the distal edge of the locking tab engages a first side surface of the positioning rib section of the boss. 
     
     
       6. The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein the locking tab circumferentially protrudes into the slot. 
     
     
       7. The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein the replacement head further comprises a protuberance circumferentially protruding into the slot, the protuberance terminating in a distal edge that forms a second lateral wall of the entry slot section that is opposite the first lateral wall of the entry slot section. 
     
     
       8. The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein a bottom edge of the locking tab forms a portion of the proximal edge of the tubular sleeve. 
     
     
       9. The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein the locking rib section extends along a first rib axis and the positioning rib section extends along a second rib axis, the first rib axis oriented obliquely to the second rib axis. 
     
     
       10. The oral care implement according to  claim 9  wherein the first rib axis is oriented obliquely relative to and non-intersecting with the longitudinal axis of the stem. 
     
     
       11. The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein the locking rib section and the positioning rib section are integral with one another. 
     
     
       12. The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein in the locked state a gap exists between a second side surface of the positioning rib section and a second lateral wall of the locking slot section. 
     
     
       13. An electric toothbrush comprising:
 an electric toothbrush main body including a bar-shaped stem which has a leading end part, vibrates by a vibration source provided inside the electric toothbrush main body, and extends along a center axis; and 
 a replacement brush to be attached so as to cover said stem; 
 wherein said stem includes a protruding part region which protrudes outward from an outer peripheral face of the stem; 
 wherein said replacement brush includes:
 a tubular part having an open trailing end; 
 a brushing member formed outside a leading end side of said tubular part; and 
 an open sidewall formed from a trailing end side toward the leading end side of said tubular part to define an opening region having a leading end side which is closed and a trailing end side which is opened at said open trailing end; 
 
 wherein said open sidewall has a bulging wall protruding toward said opening region; 
 wherein in the attached state of said replacement brush to said stem, said protruding part region is located inside said opening region, and said bulging wall comes into contact with said protruding part region at a trailing end side of said protruding part region; and 
 wherein said open sidewall has a first sidewall extending from said open trailing end toward the leading end side, wherein the first sidewall is formed so as to extend in an inclined direction relative to said center axis when being seen laterally, said protruding part region has an inclined wall face extending in an inclined direction relative to said center axis when being seen laterally, and in the attached state of said replacement brush to said stem, said first sidewall comes into contact with said inclined wall face. 
 
     
     
       14. The electric toothbrush according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 said replacement brush has a holding part formed inside the leading end side of said tubular part to hold said leading end part side of said stem; and 
 in the attached state of said replacement brush to said stem, said holding part of said tubular part holds said leading end part of said stem. 
 
     
     
       15. The electric toothbrush according to  claim 14 , wherein said open sidewall has:
 a second sidewall formed at a position opposed to said first sidewall in a circumferential direction about said center axis to extend from said open trailing end toward the leading end side; and 
 a third sidewall formed on leading end sides of said first sidewall and second sidewall to connect between said first sidewall and said second sidewall; 
 said bulging wall is formed on the trailing end side of said first sidewall so as to protrude toward said second sidewall side; 
 said protruding part region has such a shape as to extend from the trailing end side toward the leading end side; and 
 in the attached state of said replacement brush to said stem, said third sidewall comes into contact with the leading end part side of said protruding part region. 
 
     
     
       16. The electric toothbrush according to  claim 15 , wherein said second sidewall has:
 an inclined sidewall region formed on said third sidewall side and inclined in parallel to said first sidewall; and 
 a parallel sidewall region formed on said open trailing end side in parallel to said center axis when being seen laterally. 
 
     
     
       17. The electric toothbrush according to  claim 13 , wherein in the attached state of said replacement brush to said stem, one of an outer peripheral face of said stem and an inner circumferential face of said tubular part is formed with a rib extending in a direction of said center axis, and the other is formed with a guide groove accepting said rib. 
     
     
       18. The electric toothbrush according to  claim 17 , wherein said rib and said guide groove are formed in regions opposed to said protruding part region and said open sidewall with said center axis interposed in between. 
     
     
       19. The electric toothbrush according to  claim 17 , wherein said rib and said guide groove are formed in regions other than the regions opposed to said protruding part region and said open sidewall with said center axis interposed in between.